Working with Us
Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.
Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.
Position Summary
We are seeking to fill multiple Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting roles in Princeton, New Jersey.
As Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting, you'll be the final word on complex, escalated contract and budget negotiations for global clinical trials. When site contracting gets difficult, legally, financially, or operationally, you're the person who resolves it. That's a level of influence and professional authority that's genuinely rare, and it comes with the scope, visibility, and support to match.
If you've spent years building deep expertise in clinical site contracting and you're ready to lead at a strategic level, shaping how Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) negotiates globally, not just executing within someone else's framework, this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Lead complex, escalated site contract negotiations You'll be at the front line of BMS's most challenging Research Agreements with investigators and institutions. The practical result? Faster resolution of negotiations that would otherwise stall, and sites that can move to activation more quickly, directly impacting trial timelines.
Drive the global contracting strategy You won't just follow a strategy, you'll build it. By developing master agreements, rate cards, therapeutic area frameworks, and fallback standards, you'll create the infrastructure that accelerates negotiations across the entire portfolio. Your frameworks will be what the broader team relies on for years to come.
Own study-level contracting strategy end to end From the design of the approach through to execution, you'll shape how each study's contracting is handled across regions, with faster site activation and earlier enrolment as the tangible outcomes of getting this right.
Be the final escalation point for legal and budget queries When site contracting teams hit a wall, legally complex language, a budget standoff, a governance question, they come to you. You'll resolve issues that others can't, providing direct negotiation support in local languages where needed and keeping studies moving. That's a trusted, high-impact position that puts you squarely in the decision-making room.
Shape negotiation standards and governance frameworks In partnership with Legal, you'll develop and maintain the templates, decision histories, and fallback language libraries that define how BMS negotiates globally. This is lasting, structural work, the kind that builds your professional legacy within an organization.
Identify and lead process improvements Whether it's automation, template standardization, or governance enhancements, you'll spot where the current approach has friction and you'll drive the fix. You'll leave the function more efficient than you found it.
Monitor budgets and contracts at portfolio level By keeping a strategic eye across studies, you'll surface insights that help leadership make smarter decisions, giving you the kind of visibility into the broader clinical operations picture that most contracting professionals never get.
Mentor, train, and elevate the team around you Your expertise won't just benefit BMS, it'll benefit the people you work with. Through coaching, quality oversight, and knowledge sharing, you'll directly shape the capability of the wider team and build a reputation as a leader who makes others better.
Ensure compliance and manage risk proactively When legal or financial risks emerge, you'll be the person who sees them early and acts decisively, protecting the organization and keeping trial timelines intact.
What You'll Need to Succeed
Deep clinical contracts expertise You know site contract and budget negotiation inside out; including the complex, escalated cases that others find difficult. This isn't a role for someone still building the fundamentals.
Command of global contracting standards and governance You're fluent in legal and financial compliance requirements for clinical research agreements, and you can apply governance frameworks consistently across geographies.
Stakeholder management and conflict resolution You can navigate competing interests, manage tension constructively, and bring parties to agreement, even when positions feel entrenched.
Strategic thinking and a process improvement mindset You look at how things are done and ask how they could be done better. You follow through on that question with real change.
The ability to lead and develop others You're not just a technical expert, you're someone who brings others along with you. Mentoring and training come naturally because you genuinely care about the quality of the work and the growth of the team.
Excellent communication skills You can negotiate in the room, present to leadership, and communicate clearly.
Proficiency in contract management systems and Microsoft Office You're comfortable in the tools the job requires and can work efficiently across platforms.
Your Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Law, Business Administration, Life Sciences, or a related field
At least 7 years of direct clinical contract negotiation experience, preferably within the pharmaceutical industry
Proven experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects
Certifications in contract management or legal compliance are a plus
Additional Information
Up to 20% travel for stakeholder meetings, training engagements, and global alignment, so you'll stay connected to colleagues and partners across regions without being constantly on the road.
#LI-Hybrid
If you come across a role that intrigues you but doesn’t perfectly line up with your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be one step away from work that will transform your life and career.
Compensation Overview:
The starting compensation range(s) for this role are listed above for a full-time employee (FTE) basis. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility) may be available. The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills, where the job is performed, the employee’s work schedule, job-related knowledge, and experience. Final, individual compensation will be decided based on demonstrated experience.
Eligibility for specific benefits listed on our careers site may vary based on the job and location. For more on benefits, please visit https://careers.bms.com/life-at-bms/.
Benefit offerings are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans in effect at the time and may require enrollment. Our benefits include:
Health Coverage: Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care.
Wellbeing Support: Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
Financial Well-being and Protection: 401(k) plan, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection, personal liability protection, identity theft benefit, legal support, and survivor support.
Work-life benefits include:
Paid Time Off
US Exempt Employees: flexible time off (unlimited, with manager approval, 11 paid national holidays (not applicable to employees in Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico or Rayzebio employees)
Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico and Rayzebio Exempt, Non-Exempt, Hourly Employees: 160 hours annual paid vacation for new hires with manager approval, 11 national holidays, and 3 optional holidays
Based on eligibility*, additional time off for employees may include unlimited paid sick time, up to 2 paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military needs and an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas and New Years Day.
All global employees full and part-time who are actively employed at and paid directly by BMS at the end of the calendar year are eligible to take advantage of the Global Shutdown.
*Eligibility Disclosure: The summer hours program is for United States (U.S.) office-based employees due to the unique nature of their work. Summer hours are generally not available for field sales and manufacturing operations and may also be limited for the capability centers. Employees in remote-by-design or lab-based roles may be eligible for summer hours, depending on the nature of their work, and should discuss eligibility with their manager. Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement should consult that document to determine if they are eligible. Contractors, leased workers and other service providers are not eligible to participate in the program.
Uniquely Interesting Work, Life-changing Careers
With a single vision as inspiring as “Transforming patients’ lives through science™ ”, every BMS employee plays an integral role in work that goes far beyond ordinary. Each of us is empowered to apply our individual talents and unique perspectives in a supportive culture, promoting global participation in clinical trials, while our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.
On-site Protocol
BMS has an occupancy structure that determines where an employee is required to conduct their work. This structure includes site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design jobs. The occupancy type that you are assigned is determined by the nature and responsibilities of your role:
Site-essential roles require 100% of shifts onsite at your assigned facility. Site-by-design roles may be eligible for a hybrid work model with at least 50% onsite at your assigned facility. For these roles, onsite presence is considered an essential job function and is critical to collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a positive Company culture. For field-based and remote-by-design roles the ability to physically travel to visit customers, patients or business partners and to attend meetings on behalf of BMS as directed is an essential job function.
Supporting People with Disabilities
BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to adastaffingsupport@bms.com. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.
Candidate Rights
BMS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.
If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/
Data Protection
We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection.
Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.
If you believe that the job posting is missing information required by local law or incorrect in any way, please contact BMS at TAEnablement@bms.com. Please provide the Job Title and Requisition number so we can review. Communications related to your application should not be sent to this email and you will not receive a response. Inquiries related to the status of your application should be directed to Chat with Ripley.
R1599756 : Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting